The invention relates to a hinge for a panel door, in particular for a glass door, specifically for use in a cooling cupboard.
Such hinges are generally known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,313, for example, describes a first embodiment of such a hinge. In this case, compression springs on a pivot pin exert a force on the pivot pin which forces the pivot pin into a neutral position in which the longitudinal axis of an attachment plate and the plane of clamping plates for a panel run parallel. U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,255 shows a variant thereof, in which the pivot pin is provided with recesses so that a door has various “index positions”, that is to say positions in which the door remains in position. U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,811 describes a variant in which the force of the compression springs is transferred by means of rolls, the longitudinal axis of which is arranged parallel to the pivot pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,150 describes a variant provided with adjusting screws to facilitate installation. By means of these, the neutral position of a pivot pin can be adjusted, however, only over a very limited angle. Furthermore, especially this type of hinge is prone to wear over time, as the pivot pin is seated in a spindle alignment hole, and regular adjustment of the neutral position will be needed during actual use. US2005/050685 discloses an angular adjustment arrangement of a pivot hinge, wherein a pivot pin is clamped in a joint seat. Such a clamping of a pivot pin will inevitably result in angular position change during use of the hinge, and thus necessitates regular adjustment after periods of use. U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,086 discloses an adjustable door mounting arrangement for refrigerated display cabinets. From its intended use (refrigerated display cabinet), the doors need to be provided with a frame which closes off in a frame mount completely. With the usual applications of the known hinges for shower doors, the glass doors will not have a stop and the neutral position is important. The more recent U.S. Pat. No. 7,305,797 also has such a neutral position.
A problem which has been noted with such hinges during heavy use, in particular when the panel door is made from a relatively heavy material, such as for example glass, is that the closure is unsatisfactory and deteriorates during use. In addition, the hinge is not optimal for uses other than those described in the prior art.